There is a lot that has been said and written, and there are quite a few detractors and vested interests such as local IT companies that see the cloud eating their lunch. I thought I would give you just one example.

We have a PC sitting in our office that acts like a server. We store backups, images, artwork, office bits and bobs such as proposals and client details. Every so often we need to reboot it, update the antivirus and hope that it does not go bang. And in the unfortunate event that it does decide to go bang, we are left with the only option of running for Mr Dell, Mr Microsoft and probably Mr Norton, line their pockets substantially and spend a good chunk of our potentially billable time hoping they would succeed in grabbing all our precious data before they disappear into the black hole.

Do I really have to go through all the trouble? Take a look at this invoice from our friends at Torix MSP.

We pay £14.66 per month and all our office stuff is on “jungle disk”. That would mean, as long as I can get onto the internet I can literally work from anywhere in the world. More importantly, Marcin who is out in Poland can also access the same stuff, as if he were sitting in the next bay. With all our data mounted on the cloud, we can in fact easily survive without an office.

Now contrast this £14.66 per month to the alternative “old” way. Buy a PC – several hundred quid! Spend time adding all that antivirus stuff and all that comes with it. And if I want to work from home or from Poland, add to it another bucket load of IT stuff! VPN this, open that port, firewall this ……….. Yawn……..boring…… get a life.

And, what after going through all the hassle – a hefty service bill and lost productive time!

Well, that was one simple example. As with most things new, it takes a bit to get your head around the cloud and it certainly takes a bit of effort and planning. But, once you are there, believe me, the advantages and cost savings are sure to woo you in!

We believe that now is the time to start using it. Get to learn it and work out how it can help your business.

Heck, if all you did was to get drop box and only use it to share photos with yer gran, well that would be a good start!

Methinks it is time to mangle a bit of JFK.

“Ask not what your PC can do for you, ask what the cloud can do for your business”

Subject: Why I hate twitter
Extract:I don’t use Twitter because it’s a complete and utter waste of time. Yes, I know that’s sacrilege and I’m supposed to be telling you that you must be on Twitter and selling you expensive Twitter courses. Well let me save you some time. It’s all BS.
I can count on one hand the number of businesses for whom Twitter is contributing to their online profits. Literally – one hand. Meanwhile, I can show you thousands of businesses who are making money from Pay per Click, Advanced Conversion strategies, Email Marketing, Online Video, Facebook Advertising and numerous other online approaches that actually work.
Welcome to the online version of the Emperor’s new clothes. You’re almost made to feel stupid these days if you question Twitter. If there is a Universal creator, I think the whole thing is a joke. He or she decided to give humanity a tool, the first four letters of which spell ‘Twit’ and see how long it would take anyone to notice.

Quite an interesting piece of argument coming from a marketing Guru who talks at length about ‘entrepreneurial success, advanced thinking and…internet marketing’! Well, even as Mr C continues to swear by his success mantras on how to rake in the dosh through Pay per Clicks and email marketing, he is apparently blissfully oblivious of how the ‘emperor’s robe’ has been stirring up change in the world around him.

Probably unnoticed by him, Twitter has been at the root of revolutions, linking people and setting a trend as no social media has ever done before.

It is definitely not without reason that Twitter was targeted as the first form of social media to be severed by the Arab dictators, during the Arab Spring when they rushed around like headless chickens trying to cut off all forms of internet communication. The brightest part about this communication network is- just about anyone can make themselves heard to the whole world outside without fearing the editor’s axe like in the case of most other social media.

We have to admit that this ‘tool’ has proven to be quite useful to keep people connected even in the face of calamities, as well. We still remember how Twitter kept people updated on what was happening, when unexpected snow got the trains to a sudden halt a couple of years ago.

Now, in case these don’t testify as demonstrations of Twitter’s commercial abilities, Mr Cardell just need look at the new trend of TV programmes announcing Twitter tags to keep people abreast of the most recent events and discussions. So much is the popularity of this micro blog now, that a Mexican football team recently went to the extent of flashing their Twitter tags on the back of their jerseys (in place of their actual names) so that fans could Tweet about them during the games!

Now, if we were to go by Mr Cardell’s logic, we could even go to the extent of saying that the ‘telephone’ is an absolute waste of time and money! There are millions of telephones and millions of conversations taking place, exchanging billions of snippets of information. But how can I say the ‘telephone’ is useful if it does not benefit my business! Now that was a dumb thing that old Mr Grahambell came up with, when the good old pony express could well have served the purpose.

It definitely does take nerve to proclaim that Twitter is rubbish! But the fact here is, the major point has been altogether missed. I agree the possibility of seeing tweets on what Mr Cardell is having for breakfast would depress me. But there is also this bright side about Twitter where you get to hear positive testimonials. Hey take a Cardell course- the next best things since sliced bread! (Or worse Cardell is a waste of money.) Wouldn’t you want to know these things so that you can take action?

I like marketing as it brings you clients. But what about customer support? Surely if you look after your clients and set the right expectations and deal with the problems, then you really are building a solid company for growth. What is the point in bringing in clients in a very efficient way, only to lose them by the back door? To provide decent customer support, it is definitely important to know what is going on, and what people are saying.
All in all, I think Mr Cardell is being short sighted. I do agree that it might be difficult to use twitter to add to the bottom line. But, to ignore a new form of communication even if it is used just for reputation monitoring, can only be called daft.

My advice would be, don’t set your expectations very high, but do take some time out to get to know the technology. Millions of people are using it. Remember, the social media did play quite a big part in helping Obama win the presidential election. The internet is after all built using open source based on the million eyeballs principle- if a million eyes are looking at something you will spot the flaws and fixes will be made. And I am sure; you will find out before long that the emperor does have clothes, afterall!

Ironically, there is no dearth of talent, designs and designers in the era that we live in now. And all it takes is a few strokes on your keyboard before you have a zillion logo designers listed up on your screen, with promises of the most lucrative offers and showcasing the best imaginable portfolios and credentials.

But, choosing a logo designer is no trivial task because this is a person you are investing in to sculpt a powerful identity for your business, transforming your business to your ‘brand’. The real task lies in sifting through the huge array of choices, and finding the one right designer or design firm who can bring you results.

We all know the story of the simple ‘swoosh ‘that transformed an upstart shoe company to the global brand that revolutionized the industry. Just as the ubiquitous ‘Nike’ logo testifies, a brilliant logo isn’t about complicated designs or a wild play of colours or graphics.

Simple, meaningful, unique and powerful – the perfect logo should be one that is capable of etching a place for itself in people’s memory. Considering that novelty lies in the thought process, it takes a talented logo designer to produce a striking logo that stands apart from the sea of run-of-the mill designs, shapes and shake a bake logos.

This logo of the interlocking  ‘F’s that Trevor Baker designed for our client ‘FlexiDry’, is one such demonstration of an original, simple and powerful logo that subtly describes the product. FlexiDry is a fast drying floor screed, and changes from a dark grey colour to a lighter grey as the screeded surface dries. The interlocking ‘F’s subtly represent ‘FlexiDry’ while showing the transition of colours over two sections of a drying screed- all the while keeping the logo simple, unique and meaningful.

Now, here are some of the few important things to look for while choosing a logo designer.

The thought process matters: While getting a logo designed, you are literally making a huge payment for a simple line, curve or geometrical design that obviously should have a story to tell. And to make sure you are not swindled into accepting some uninspired rip offs, it is worthwhile to look for logo designers who give portfolios of their work, explaining the thought process behind the logos they have designed in the past. This is important because the line of thought behind a design is clearly indicative of the designer’s capability to come up with a meaningful and relevant logo design. You do not want some obscure logo designer to sell you a dot and a line as a highly abstract piece of art, which has hardly anything to do with what your business stands for.

‘Quicker’ isn’t always ‘the better’:  As simple as the Nike ‘Swoosh’ might seem, logo designer Carolyn Davidson did not come up with the ‘simple, fluid and fast’  swoosh logo in an hour. It took days of conceptualization, research and drawing, before the logo designer could come up with the ubiquitous ‘tick mark’ representative of the wing of the statue of Nike-the Greek Goddess of Victory.

A good designer requires more time for conceptualization and research than for execution, and it might be days before the designer can come up with a distinctive logo, customized entirely for your brand. Do not fall for the ‘quick turnaround offers’, as you might end up with some sub-standard cookie-cutter designs that might bear more than a passing resemblance to standard clip art logos.

Do not fall for the low-price snare: Quality does come with a price. And if it doesn’t, it is hard to spot from the crowd. You can get a logo designed for a few pounds to a few thousand pounds. From amateur and off shore logo designers who offer logos at unbelievably discounted rates to professional design firms who charge thousand s of pounds an hour, you can choose from a wide array of designers depending on the budget you are willing to set apart for your logo. However, it is important to remember that, as always, you only get what you pay for!

Experience: As far as experience is concerned, talent can sometimes outweigh experience in the creative industry. It is likely that a newcomer can sometimes come up with fresher and novel ideas than experienced designers who have been exposed to too many design influences.  Nonetheless, experience does always bring with it better skills and reliability, and it is always reassuring when you know the designer you have chosen has an impressive portfolio to vouch for his skills.

Let us take ‘domains’ for instance- the website domain is an extremely important aspect of a business that could well be worth a fortune. It is extremely important to keep your internet properties secure and ensure you own your domain, as the loss of a domain can virtually ruin your entire business. I recently spoke to some of my clients regarding this issue, and asked them if they have all checked if they own their domains. They replied in the affirmative. And business leaders that they are, I was sure they would have, too. But I was in for a surprise when I returned to base and did a quick check. A good number of them had unwittingly left their businesses exposed and vulnerable, when a few simple precautionary steps were all they needed to keep it secure.

I have often noticed, people outside the IT industry generally seem to have this perception of websites as some “digital” hocus pocus stuff that runs on complicated technology that is outside the purview of understanding of untrained minds. It is surprising that normally intelligent and clever people, who are experts in their own professions, have an altogether different approach when it comes to grasping the media of the web. They just seem to create a ‘mental barrier’, filtering out the unfamiliar bits and keeping their vision focused on what they can see easily.

Well, I would say creating a good website is more or less like getting your message clearly across to old Mr Magoo. Your task is to convey information effectively to an audience, who can only see the surface bits of your creation. They only see what is clear and evident to them on the outside, and follow the paths they can find easily and without assistance. It should be remembered that they are not always able to dig in deeper and see the larger picture. So, the only way to prevent them from stumbling is ‘simplicity’- simple, accurate, well expressed content with an easy and logical path, and easy navigation that would help them find their way around your site.

However, this somehow is a point that people from the creative industries- journalism, copywriting, PR etc. – just seem to miss. They can look at a brochure and talk the hind legs off a donkey. But put the same material on to a website and there is silence!

What needs to be understood here is- even in the web world you are dealing with the same old elements of communication, words and pictures as in the print media; but with the difference that it needs to be presented in a more simple, concise and quickly comprehendible manner to an audience who are not used to seeing it presented on a medium that is not quite as familiar to them as the good old medium of the pen and paper.

Just see to it that you don’t get intimidated by all those terms and jargons and the ever so serious sounding ‘digital’ expressions (I personally have never liked the use of the ‘digital’ term because it implies some sort of machine magic that is beyond the levels of comprehension of the non-tech-savvy individual).

All you need to do is treat your website with the right approach and you will find your website hits the right note with your audience, without anyone telling you it is complicated stuff.

I once had a Motorola phone with a menu system so bad that I could not as much as figure out how to send a simple text message. I was struggling with the technologically handicapped contraption, when Mr Jobs came along with the smart invention of the iPhone. And needless to say, the navigation is such a breeze and just about anyone can operate it without having to call up technical support for sending a simple s.m.s.

Like with all designs, ‘simple’ is the key here…and the very same principles apply to the web, too. As it says in the old project management cartoon, what chance does the audience have of understanding what you have to say, when you are not sure of what your web project is supposed to convey.

When you have a complete understanding of what you are working on, it is easy to keep things simple and there is no need to hide anywhere. Whatever you have created can easily be placed under the spotlight, and whatever you have to say will be conveyed to the intended audience in all its depth and clarity. If you have a message, it will be seen, heard and understood; and will not be lost or masked behind any of the technological boulders strewn around to block your way.

Thank you Mr Jobs!

It never ceases to amaze me how much time people spend wrestling with their exchange servers. For instance, there is this one-man-band client of ours who has an exchange server. When his server decides to go bang, and it will and it has done, you guessed it- business stops. He calls out the IT man who comes along with his IT salve and voila! All the lost trinkets are back on the table. But, not without the cost of serious productive time and a hefty IT bill to add to the mounting costs. .

And does it stop there? No. There would still be the server to patch, the security scans to run, software to upgrade, disks to add, and the batteries (UPS systems) to buy to prevent catastrophic failure in case of a power outage…!

Our bigger clients, on the other hand, have a slightly better system for coping. They have server rooms, air conditioning and some other bits for near datacenter quality conditions to keep the servers running in tip top condition. But the question is, do they really have to go through all this bother? This is what got me thinking.

We work with IT support companies. Some are great and others have shocked us. When you install an exchange server, it is a bit like a cash cow. A nice support contract pays the monthly bills or when it goes bang the call out fees and remedial work soon mounts up.

Also when you are into this type of infrastructure, what happens if a situation arises where the office can’t be used? For example a flood, or power cut or tube strike or what ever-, and you are done for. The ultimate result is, in simple terms ‘lost productivity’.

That is when you start to think about the much hyped ‘cloud’. You find oodles of material written about the cloud, a lot of conflicting information, confusion; and the scare mongering by the IT companies to top it all up. And, there are all sorts of stories doing the rounds, for instance, what happens if you lose your data or what guarantee do you have that Uncle Sam might not have a good regard on your data if you store it in a US data centre…Yes, all of these are issues, but they are not impossible to solve, nor are they costly to work around.

Let me give you and example. We started out on Sage for our accounting. I found this to be a nightmare of software where we could not make sense of our own data. We moved to QuickBooks and loved it. But we had to stop using it while the accountant was working on the QuickBooks file, which was getting bigger and bigger with the iterations. If the accountant took a week, then we were locked out for a week!

Now, when we looked for a cloud version of QuickBook I could not believe that the only apparent solution was to rent a computer in a data centre and use some sort of remote access. We still had to own the software and rent a server. Far too complicated for my liking!

It was at this point that the benefit of working with an accountant in a large grouping paid the dividends. Evidently they had tested all the cloud applications and recommended us to try Kashflow. We did, and were onto it like a shot.

We have just completed our first year on this and we are really happy we made the decision. We can work on our accountriing when we want and where we want. And, they are constantly making improvements and we avoid the pain of upgrading a PC and potentially stuffing things with all the associated down times.

Brilliant. Forza the cloud!

We are now in the process of moving absolutely everything to the cloud. I must add, it is about time people like Photoshop decided to wake up, as well. If they are not careful, for us, they will go the same way as Sage and the QuickBooks.

Now, on a practical level, I would define the cloud for our clients as:

• an opportunity to save money
• a way of building in some business resilience for business continuity
• and an opportunity for freedom

All the same, it goes without saying that all the above must be accepted with eyes wide open. Chances do exist where a supplier could go bust, as we have seen with CDN. Just make sure you understand the risks and take the necessary steps to keep the risks down. After all, the field that we are all into is business- which is all about taking risks, but keeping them in the limits of what can be called ‘sensible’.

Update 28th October 2011

Since I wrote this post I have ended up commenting on a couple of sites. And that is the power of RSS and Feedburner for you!

• http://www.technology4hospitality.com/2011/10/rick-sternitzke-cto-of-swisscom-hospitality-services-cloud-computing-for-hospitality-%E2%80%93-what%E2%80%99s-behind-it/
• http://www.hospitalityandcateringnews.com/2011/10/technology-eh/